Anansi Boys
Neil Gaiman
After learning of the death of his estranged father, Fat Charlie finds on his doorstep a man claiming to be his brother, who promptly begins wreaking havoc in his personal and professional life. Is it any surprise that Charlie turns out to be the son of Anansi, a trickster god? A delightfully original tale from the author of American Gods.

11 on Top
Janet Evanovich
The irrepressible Stephanie Plum is back, and she has a change of career in mind. Her search for the perfect job does not go smoothly, however, what with exploding automobiles, a chaotic love life, a stalker, and an unsolved murder to contend with. Maybe the bounty hunter gig isn’t so bad after all?

Goodnight Nobody
Jennifer Weiner
Kate Klein, a former New York City gossip columnist turned suburban mommy, is caught in the middle of a murder investigation when she discovers the body of one of her neighbors. Kate decides to squeeze in some sleuthing in while her kids are at preschool but things get complicated when her path crosses that of a handsome private investigator…

A Long Way Down
Nick Hornby
Hornby’s latest novel offers an amusing treatment of a serious subject. On New Year’s Eve, five Londoners contemplating suicide coincidently choose the same rooftop. The bond they form that night carries the group through a period of mutual support and recovery. Several talented actors lend their voices to characters inhabiting a most unusual and unforgettable support group.

Polar Shift
Clive Cussler
Kurt Austen and the NUMA team attempt to thwart a polar displacement that could cause severe weather, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and quite possibly, the end of the world. Another action-packed sea adventure from Clive Cussler.

Rococo
Adriana Trigiani
Interior decorator Bartolomeo di Crespi welcomes the challenge of renovating a church in his New Jersey hometown. But the project seems the least of Bartolomeo’s problems after romantic difficulties, family dramas, and the revelation of community secrets interrupt. This novel of family is told with wit and charm by the author of Big Stone Gap (includes great recipes, too!).

Specimen Days
Michael Cunningham
The author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Hours, weaves together three related stories having recurring characters in Manhattan settings of different time periods. With direct reference to Walt Whitman’s masterwork, The Leaves of Grass, Michael Cunningham’s narrative triptych explores the problem of human alienation in the age of the machine.

Music

Face the Truth
Stephen Malkmus, former Pavement frontman, showcases his eclectic songwriting abilities in this well-received third solo effort.

Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack
Grateful Dead
The five discs of this box set are taken from a 5-night performance given at San Francisco’s Winterland in October 1974. All the music from the 1977 documentary, The Grateful Dead is included, along with 32 bonus tracks.

Late Registration
Kanye West
Hip hop impresario West follows his Grammy-winning debut (The College Dropout) with a genre-bending album that “steps up his lyrical game, shows off his epic production skills, reaches higher, pushes harder and claims the whole world of music as hip-hop turf.” (Rolling Stone magazine)

The Legend
Johnny Cash
Spanning 1955-2002 and arranged thematically (The Hits, Old Favorites and New; The Great American Songbook, and Family and Friends), the cuts on this four-disk anthology are a powerful testimonial to the depth and range of an American icon.

Living Room Tour
Carole King
Music legend songwriter and singer Carole King offers her fans a live performance in this 2-disc set of her classic hits. Included are such favorites as “Locomotion,” “Take Good Care of My Baby,” “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” and “Pleasant Valley Sunday.”

Push Barman To Open Old Wounds
Belle and Sebastian
A must for both novices or die-hard fans of Belle and Sebastian, this compilation of seven out-of-print EPs from 1996-2001 contains all of the delicate and smart songs that made this Scottish combo heroes of the indie pop scene.

Tarefero de Mis Pagos
Chango Spasiuk
Argentinian accordian player Chango Spasiuk delivers a set of “spirited, yet elegant, tunes from traditional and modern sources” (All Music) on this folk album.

Twice the Speed of Life
Sugarland
The twangy voice of Jennifer Nettles belting out energetic tunes will leave you anxiously awaiting the sophomore album of this group from Atlanta.

Vagabond Lullabies
Po’ Girl
This mellow, organic, and intimate recording is the second from the Vancouver-based acoustic folk trio Po’ Girl. The songs are a smooth fusion of many different musical genres, incorporating a little R&B, punk, jazz, hip-hop, and country.

Wow Gospel, 2005: 30 of the Year’s Top Gospel Artists and Songs
Contains old favorites such as Shirley Caesar (“I'm Gonna Wait”), the Rance Allen Group (the first traditional gospel group to add jazz, rock and soul to their music), and younger contemporary artists such as Smokie Norful, who combines gospel and hip-hop.

Feature Films & Documentaries

Goodbye Lenin!
This German comedy involves a young man named Alex whose socialist mother became comatose before the fall of the Berlin Wall. When she wakens with a weak heart, her family dares not tell her that capitalism has triumphed! Keeping the truth from her becomes a comedy of errors.

Hotel Rwanda
This is the deeply moving true story of a five-star-hotel manager, Paul Rusesabagina, who heroically risked his life to protect 1,200 Tutsis from being slaughtered during the 1994 Rwandan conflict. Don Cheadle was nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of Paul Rusesabagina.

House of Flying Daggers
During China’s Tang Dynasty, a secret organization rises to oppose the government. Two lawmen are sent undercover to find the ringleaders and stop the revolution. Breathtaking visuals, lavish costumes, and a ballet of martial arts agility mark this beautiful film.

National Treasure
For six generations, the Gates family has searched for a fabled treasure, protected through the centuries by the Knights Templar, and hidden somewhere in the U.S. With a rival in pursuit of the prize, Benjamin Franklin Gates must steal the most valuable document in the National Archives to lead him to the treasure. A roller coaster ride of action and thrills.

Spanglish
A beautiful woman from Mexico brings her daughter to the U.S. when she accepts a job as housekeeper to an affluent, but troubled, family in Los Angeles. This is a heart-warming story of class, cultural collision, and the enduring importance of family.

A Very Long Engagement
This film, starring Audrey Tautou of Amelie, tells the story of young lovers separated by World War I. Matilde refuses to believe her fiance has been killed in the war and embarks on a journey to find out what happened to him. A beautifully told love story.

Basic Backstroke Swimming Technique
University of Washington swim coach Mickey Wender offers advice for developing an efficient backstroke technique “from the inside out.” Swimming drills are illustrated by students in the pool.

Building the Alaska Highway
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, officials in Washington D.C. realized that Alaska was also vulnerable. To provide accessibility, a highway linking Alaska to the lower 48 was hastily built by thousands of young soldiers working under enforced segregation, in a beautiful but hostile environment.

Faster: Inside the Exhilarating World of Motorcycle Racing
Welcome to the incredibly fast world of Grand Prix motorcycle racing, where bikes and riders typically achieve speeds exceeding 200 miles per hour. Narrated by Ewan McGregor, this film delves into the MotorGP scene with interviews of riders, mechanics, doctors, commentators, and fans.

Fidel Castro
One of the most controversial figures of the past sixty years, Fidel Castro has become the living symbol of Communist revolution in defying the will of ten U.S. presidents. Archival film footage, and interviews with childhood friends, journalists, human rights activists, and former political prisoners present a fascinating portrait of a remarkably resilient political leader.

Marple Series 1
Series 1 features new adaptations of four Agatha Christie novels. This series was originally aired on the PBS television program Mystery! in 2004. Geraldine McEwan stars as Miss Marple.

Tom Dowd & the Language of Music
A profile of the life and work of a legendary music producer and recording engineer who influenced modern music through his work with musicians such as Eric Clapton, John Coltrane, Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, The Allman Brothers, Thelonious Monk, and Aretha Franklin.

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
In 1908, Jack Johnson became the first African American to earn the title Heavyweight Champion of the World. Ken Burns uses his trademark blend of voiceovers, archival photographs and film footage, and interviews with experts, to trace the story of a remarkable individual.